Protective means for contacts



July

R. LEE

PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR CONTACTS Filed'Aug. 21, 1944 w In -u INVENTORV ROYAL LEE ATTORNEY FIG.4

Patented only 5, 1949 UNliED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRQTECTIVE MEANS FOR CONTACTS Royal Lee, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Lee Engineering Research Corporation, Milwaukee,

a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 21, 1944, Serial No. 550,351

1 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical systems having contacts therein, and more particularly to protective arrangements for the contacts.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved electrical system having windings which are so arranged as to form spark suppressing means for electrical contacts in the system. The windings may form parts of various types of electrical apparatus, such as dynamo-electric machines and speed regulating means therefor.

Another object is to provide an electrical system in which the windings are arranged in series and are so related as to form an effective capacitor for minimizing sparking at the contacts and for improving the operation of the system.

Still another object is to provide an electrical motor having a speed regulating switch and having windings which are so arranged as to protect the switch contacts while permitting the use of the switch as an on-andswitch for the motor.

A further object is to provide a novel form of winding adapted to shunt a switch and to form a sparlosuppressing capacitor for the switch.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a contact-protecting electrical system arranged in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a part of an inductive winding of the system;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a twin wire or two-conductor cable for the winding of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of two-conductor cable;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the contact-protecting system applied to a repulsiontype electric motor with a speed-regulator switch; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the contact-protecting system applied to a seriestype motor with a speed regulator switch.

In the system of Fig. 1, an electromagnetic structure is formed by a winding comprising coils l5 and iii associated with a magnetizable member ll, the coils being magnetically additive and being connected in series. The winding may be formed in one or more sections. The coils l5 and It are closely coupled and are preferably formed by simultaneously winding two adjacent insulated conductors l8 and as, such as those of Figs. 2 and 3, in bifilar relation, so as to provide a substantial electro-static capacity between the conductors. The two conductors are preferably in the form of a twin-wire cable, and for facility in winding, especially in the case of small wire sizes, the cable is generally circular in cross-section. As best seen in Fig. 3, each wire has an insulating covering or coating 20 and is of D-shape, the flattened portions of the two wires facing each other to increase the capacitance efiect. The two wires of the cable are retained in assembled relation in any suitable manner, as by an insulating covering or wrapping 2!, or merely by effecting adhesion between the two insulated wires. The cable is conveniently formed by a pair of round wires each having a tough coating of insulating enamel, the two Wires being rolled, either individually or together, to produce the flattened shape. The rolling of the wires may be effected by means of suitable pressing and shaping rolls, not shown. The two wires are usually of the same size, as shown, but in some instances the; may be of different size. In certain cases, the wires may have different conductivity. The wires are preferably formed of a metal of good electrical conductivity, such as copper or silver or silver-coated copper. In special cases, the wires may be formed of resistance alloys, in which event they are preferably plated or coated with copper or silver.

In the modified form of two-conductor cable shown in Fig. 4, a round wire H8 is snugly encased by a metal ribbon or strip H9 insulated therefrom, the wire preferably having a coating I20 of insulating enamel and the ribbon having a similar coating 12!. The cable is approximately circular in cross-section to facilitate winding.

In connecting the two coils l5 and It in series, the finishing end of the wire it is connected to the starting end of the wire E9 to form a junction 22. The starting end of the wire [3 and the finishing end of the wire l9 are respectively connected to contacts 23 and 24 of a switch device 25 which in many instances may be of the centrifugally actuated type. The switch device opcrates periodically to interrupt the circuit through the coils l5 and E6, in which current is caused to flow in any suitable manner, as by induction or by direct connection with a source of supply, as hereinafter more fully described. For example, a voltage, either direct or alternating, may be introduced at the point X or Y. In some cases, the switch device may be shunted by a resistor 26 to pass some of the current, the resistor being normally open-circuited by a switch 21. In certain other cases, the switch device may be rendered ineffective at will by a short-circuiting switch 28. As will hereinafter appear, additional circuit elements may be introduced at the points X and Y of Fig. 1, these points being at the middle of the coil, or between the coil sections.

In operation, current flowing in the coils l5 and I6 will be periodically interrupted at the switch contacts 23 and 24. Any sparking tending to occur at the contacts will be suppressed or minimized by the condenser action ofthe winding, the condenser or capacitor formed by the coils of the winding being, in effect, shunted across the switch contacts. When the contacts are open, the circuit through the coils is completely open. This permits the switch device to be used as an on-and-ofi switch in addition to its'normal-funm;

tion. When the switch 28 is closed, the capacity of the winding increases thepower factorin the case of alternating current operation.

In Fig. 5, the system of Fig. l is applied to an electric motor 30 of the inverted repulsion type .wherein the coils l5 and i6 iorma stationary secondary winding on a stator core IT. The stator core forms pole pieces cooperating :with an .armature or rotor 3! to which current is supplied "-from alternating current mains 32 by means of :brushes. 33, the mains including a control switch 1.34; The circuit through the series-connected coils isv periodically interrupted at the contacts 23 and 24 of the switch device 25, which in the present instance forms a'speed-regulating governor switchoperated by the motor. The switch .contacts may be rotative or non-rotative, as is well understood in this art. In the case of a governor switch with rotative contacts the current is "conducted to the contacts by the usual. brushes.

,and slip rings. One suitable form-of governor switch. is shown in my United States Patent No. 1,767,146, issued June 24, 1930. This switch in- .cludes a bell-crank actuator lever 35 by which the speed-setting may be adjusted while the mtor is running.

In operation, the mean value of the secondary current, and therefore the line current, is con- -trolled by the governor switch, maintaining the motor speed within close limits. The contact 23 vibrates a high frequency, say from 50 to 300 \cycles per second, so as to obtain good speedregulation. Excessive sparking will be suppressed by the capacitor-forming coils I and I6. The secondary circuit when closed includes the capacity of the winding, which improves the power .factor. of the motor.

In Fig. 6, the protective system is applied to an electric motor 40 of the series of universal type wherein the coils l5 and I6 form field .coils on .pole pieces 11, the two composite field coils being .identical. The motor includes an. armature}! .having a commutator with brushes 33 hearing .thereon, and is supplied with current, either direct .oralternating, from mains 32 which in- .clude a control switch 34. The coilsections [5 are opened at the point X of Fig. 1,.for,connection to the mains, and the coilsections l6v are opened at the point Y of Fig. 1,for connection to the armature brushes. c onnected to the coils l5 and 16 as inv the system ,of Fig. 1.

In the operation of the motor of 'Fig. 6, current flows from the right-hand lineconductor through the right-hand coil section Hi, the left- .hand coil section [8, armature 3|, right-hand coil section l6, governor switch. 25, left-hand coil section [5, and to the left-hand line conductor. j, causes rotation of the armature at aspeed The governor switch is winding comprising a pair of conductors wound together in bifilar relation to form a pair oi fieldcoils each having a substantial capacitance efiect, said'conductors being connected in series aiding relation and in series with the armature, said armature forming a series connection between the ends of conductors of said two field coils. a source of current connected to the corresponding ends of the other conductors of said two field coils, and a speed-responsive switch having separable contacts connected in series with said coil-forming conductors at ends thereof remote from the armature and the source of cur- I rent.

2. In an. electrical system, a circuit having a pair of coil sections comprising a pair of conductors wound together in bifilar series-aiding relation to provide a substantial. capacitance .eitect, a source of current connected in one ofsaid conductors at a point between said coil sections, one end of said conductor being connected to the opposite end of the other conductor, and separable contacts one of which is connected to the other end of said first conductor,

and the other contact being connect..d to the remote end of the second conductor.

3. In an.,electrical system, a circuit h pair of first and second coils each comprising a pair of first and second conductors wound together in bifilar series-aiding relation to provide a substantial capacitance effect at each coil, asource of current connected between one end of the first conductor of the first coil and one end of the first conductor of the second coil, the corresponding ends of the second conductors of said coils having an electrical connection, the end of the first conductor of the second coil remote from the source of current being connected to the end of the second conductor oi the first ,coil remote from said electrical connection, and separable contacts one of which is co ected to the end of the first conductor of the first coil remote from the source of current, and the other contact being connected to the end of the second conductor of the second coil remote from said electrical connection.

ROYAL LEE.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name iii-ate 825,222 Latour July 3, 1906 841,545 Latour Jan. 15, 1907 1,460,390 OLeary July 3, 1923 1,765,958 -Wick M June 24, 1930 2,078,896 .Hanley Apr. 27, 1937 2,182,083 Jepson et al. Dec. 5, 1939 

